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Monday, May 5, 2014

The 13th day of Easter: Toward the Light

A phone call from
Danielle tells me that an old friend whose husband is a Presbyterian minister
has dropped into say Hi, so I make my
way to church as fast as I can.

It’s Sue R, a nurse
back for her 30th reunion at Columbia Presbyterian along with a
classmate. I remember when we were young couples together back in Pittsburgh
and I baptized her son, Peter. As Micah put it, Dad put water on baby Peter’s head. Seems a lifetime ago. And it
is. She reminds me of when she and her husband Tom stayed with us a few days at
our old apartment. I remember a sunny walk through Riverside Park, down along
the Hudson. Good people. The hard working quiet type. Sue had the temerity to
answer honestly when church women asked what she wanted years ago and paid for it. We all
ran some races together. Tom and Sue help keep the world running. Living lives
of faitheven when the church fails to
live up to its side of the bargain.

Good to see Cara
again. In to help me for awhile before her evening performance with Carman and
Lotte.

Maria is part of a
circle of artists. Wants to bring some artists here for a show.

Alia just wants to
come in and look around.

Danielle stays
around to help staff the performance. Another presentation of Girl of Diamond Mountain.
Attendance is not what we would like it to be.Again I travel the journey with Lotte as she goes through the trauma of
abuse and comes through to look towards the light. Again I reach that point
where it feels unbearable. There is a
powerful moment at the end when the two dancers intertwine and the shadow on
the screenproduces an image of the two
becoming one. The lost girl has finally come home. The adult woman has accepted
the young girl who she was.

Lotte and Andre

This time, Carman and Lotte have brought a professional, Petah, to help
mediate the conversation. Again, we explore the importance of bringing what has
been hidden out. Lotte asks me to share the Thomas quote and I do: If you bring forth what is within you,
what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within
you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.

The conversation is intense and personal. Or the first time,
we explore the issues of family and forgiveness and reconciliation.As I listen, I expand my understanding of
forgiveness. That the offering of it not only frees the victim but can release
the perpetrator as well. A story of how a forgiveness gave a perpetrator
freedom to let go and pass over, finally at peace. Petah says that most
perpetrators were victims themselves. How speaking out, like Lotte has, breaks
the silence that allows the circle to continue on. This is hard stuff.

Karin joins the conversation

I look around the
circle, a circle of light, in the darkened sanctuary. Another moment when I
know this is why we are here.

As we are leaving, the Open Mic crowd is leaving. They tell
me it’s been a great night. I decide to go with them and hear the story.